British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under fresh fire over immigration after new figures revealed asylum claims in the UK have reached record highs. The data shows a sharp rise in the

number of people seeking refuge, with more of them being placed in hotels compared to last year—a fact critics say highlights a system under strain.

Immigration is now topping the list of public concerns, overtaking the economy, according to regular opinion tracking. Much of the frustration stems from the continuing arrival of small boats across the English Channel, with more than 27,000 people making the journey so far this year.

The populist Reform Party, which campaigns on deporting what it calls “illegal immigrants,” is leading in the polls. This has piled political pressure on Starmer, who came into office promising to bring net migration down.

But his government hit turbulence this week. A council northeast of London successfully won a temporary court order blocking the use of a local hotel to house asylum seekers after protests broke out there. Other councils are now considering taking similar legal steps, and Reform Party leader Nigel Farage has openly called for more demonstrations.

The opposition Conservatives are also seizing the moment. “Labour has lost control of our borders and they’re engulfed in a migration crisis,” said Chris Philp, the party’s home affairs spokesperson.

Official data paints a complex picture. At the end of June, more than 32,000 asylum seekers were living in hotels—a rise of 8% from last year, though still well below the peak of 56,000 recorded in late 2023. Overall asylum claims hit 111,000 in the year to June, a 14% increase compared to the previous year and the highest level ever, surpassing a 2002 record.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper defended the government’s record, saying Labour inherited a broken immigration system. She highlighted that returns of failed asylum seekers have increased by 30% since her party took power. “We’ve strengthened visa and border controls, cut costs, and boosted enforcement,” she said.

Yet the small boat arrivals remain at the heart of the political storm. Numbers are up 38% compared with last year, and the debate around them is becoming increasingly heated. Critics warn of risks to public safety, while migrant advocacy groups argue that far-right voices are using the crisis to stoke division.

Since 2018, nearly 160,000 people who arrived on small boats have applied for asylum. About 61,700 have been granted some form of protection. Many come from conflict-hit nations like Afghanistan, Eritrea, and Iran.

While deportations are up overall, the figures show only 6,313 small-boat arrivals have been sent back in the past seven years—just 4% of the total.

For Starmer, the challenge is mounting: balancing public frustration, political attacks from rivals, and the realities of a global migration crisis that shows no signs of easing. Photo by ukhomeoffice, Wikimedia commons.